Chapter 2: Section 3, 4, 5

1
Chapter 2 Section 3, 4, 5
2
Objectives

• What were the powers of the national government
  under the Articles of Confederation?
• How did limits on its power weaken the national
  government under the Articles?
• How did Shays Rebellion highlight the need for a
  stronger national government?
• Who were the delegates to the Constitutional
  Convention?
• What major competiting plans of government did
  the convention delegates debate?
• What were some of the compromises reached by the
  delegates.

3
Objectives

• What were the main arguments in the debate over
  ratification of the Constitution.
• What role did a bill of rights play in the
  debate?
• What key states were among the last to ratify the
  Constitution.
• Know ALL the questions and answers to section
  reviews!!! Use your guided notes and vocabulary
  to study!

4
Reviewing Concepts

• How did the need for common defense and anger
  over British policies affect colonial
  cooperation?
• Explain which key documents limited the power of
  the English monarchs and how they did so.
• Compare the arguments of Federalists and
  Antifederalsits.
• How were colonial and state governments
  influenced by the ideals of limited and
  representative government?

5
Articles of Confederation

• The Second Continental Congress had held the 13
  states together during the war.
• The Congress had negotiated treaties with foreign
  powers, created a national currency, borrowed
  money, and established a postal service.
• There was, however, no constitution or other
  legal documents giving Congress the authority to
  take these actions.
• To remedy this, in 1777 the Second Contitintal
  Congress created a document to form a single
  national government.

6
Articles of Confederation

• This document, loosely tied together the 13
  independent states and gave a new national
  Congress the authority to act that the Second
  Continental Congress had lacked.
• Before it could go into effect, the document had
  to be ratified by all 13 states. Maryland was the
  last state to ratify in 1781.

7
Limits on the Power of the National Government
Under the Articles of Confederation.

• No president or executive branch
• No national court system
• No officials to enforce laws
• No power to tax
• No power to regulate trade
• No power to establish national armed forces
• Major laws required approval of 9 out of the 13
  states.

8
Pressure for Stronger Government

• The relative independence of the various states
  posed many problems for the young nation.
• An armed rebellion in Massachusetts in 1786 was
  proof that a stronger national government was
  needed to maintain order and to promote and
  protect the public good of citizens in all states.

9
The Constitutional Convention

• On May 25th, 1781, delegates met in Philadelphia
  to consider establishing a stronger national
  government for the 13 states. The convention
  proceeded through the hottest summer in 30 years.
  Delegates worked in secrecy, hoping to ensure
  free and open debate with out interference from
  outsiders. The delegates worked for 4 months to
  create a new government.

10
The Delegates

• The delegates to the Constitutional Convention
  included many of the countrys most distinguished
  leaders and political thinkers. Of the 55
  delegates, 8 had signed the Declaration of
  Independence, 7 had been in the First Continental
  Congress, and 7 had been state governors. Most
  were wealthy, well educated, and become officials
  in the national government.
• Some of the most well known were
• George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and
  Alexander Hamilton.

11
Rival Plans

• Almost as soon as the Convention began, debate
  moved beyond the original goal of strengthening
  the Articles to one of creating a new government.
  
• Debate centered around two competing plans for
  the government.
• Virginia Plan- look to hand-out
• New Jersey Plan- look to hand-out

12
The Great Compromise

• The agreement between the Virginia Plan and New
  Jersey Plan was at first called the Connecticut
  Plan.
• Eventaully known as the Great Compromise- it was
  adopted on July 16th, 1787.
• The plan called for a
• Bicameral Legislature
• House of Representation- population
• Senate0- equal representation
• Slavery- 3/5 of a person

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The Great Compromise

• Congress could not ban the importation of slaves
  before 1808.
• The delegates decided on a system in which the
  President would be chosen by state electors.
  Eventually known as the Electoral College.

14
Finalizing the Constitution

• The Convention delegates finished their work on
  the Constitution in August 1781. On September 17,
  most of the delegates singed the document. Those
  who did not sign, had either gone home or did not
  agree with the new national government.

15
Ratifying the Constitution

• The battle to create a new government did not end
  with the signing of the Constitution. First nine
  states had to ratify the document in special
  constitutional conventions, and the outcome of
  the ratification process was by no means certain.
• Supporters of the new constitution were called
  Federalists because they supported a stronger,
  federal form of government. Opponents of the
  Constitution were called Antifederalists. They
  were particularly strong in New York and
  Virginia.

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Ratification

• Antifederalists wanted a Bill of Rights to
  protect individual freedoms of American citizens.
  
• The only way that the Antifederalists would agree
  to ratify the Constitution, was if the new
  Congress promised to adopt a bill of rights.
• On Dec. 7th, 1787 those attending the Delaware
  convention voted unanimously to ratify the
  Constitution. New Hampshire was the ninth state
  to ratify the Constitution.
• North Carolina ratified the Constitution in
  November 1789, Rhode Island held out until May
  1790, New York on March 4th, 1789.
• George Washington became the nations first
  president on April 30th, 1789.

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The End

• STUDY STUDY STUDY for the TEST!!!!!!
• Look over guided notes, section reviews,
  vocabulary, and handouts!!!